We all became war reporters overnight

Kyiv editor on the bravery of her journalists

- ASHLEY COWBURN

A TOP Ukrainian journalist has told how her brave team became war reporters overnight as Russian missiles rained down on the country.

Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent, said her publication, founded in 2021, also became the "world's eyes" on the brutal war and Ukraine's "voice in the world".

Delivering the annual Hugh Cudlipp Lecture at Stationers' Hall in Central London, Ms Rudenko recalled the start of the invasion on February 24, 2022.

She received a call from the office at 3am and, just an hour later, Russian state television was broadcasting a speech by President Vladimir Putin.

She said: "At around 4.50am when he was done speaking I heard an explosion.